Gather:

by Kenneth M. Cadow

A National Book Award Finalist
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book

A resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.

Ian Gray isn’t supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn’t happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian’s adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?

Told in a wry, cautious first-person voice that meanders like a dog circling to be sure it’s safe to lie down, Kenneth M. Cadow’s resonant debut brings an emotional and ultimately hopeful story of one teen’s resilience in the face of unthinkable hardships.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming Of Age, Animals, Book Club, Dogs

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Kenneth M. Cadow is an art teacher. He lives in Norwich, Vermont. This is his first picture book.

Reviews

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things to know about this book:
1. It does a great job of recognizing rural teens and the ways in which the US education system fails them.
2. The dog doesn't die.
3. The title is so fun to think about once you finish the book. It relates to SO many different parts of the story.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dog lives, don’t worry. Demon Copperhead lite.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me take my time. I'm usually a fast reader, but I couldn't be with this book. Cadow made me slow down. Gather is a lovely book that simultaneously broke my heart and filled it so full that I walked away happy.

[Stacy Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not understand why this book only has 300some ratings. First, the dog doesn’t die and nothing bad happens to him, so let’s get that out in the open right away. I picked up this book looking for a way to add something more current to my 10th grade curriculum. Wow. Wow. Wow. I know this child is different facets of my low level students who are coming to school with rural issues. They’ve worked before school. They are hungry. They are dealing with all forms of addiction in their houses. They are living with grandparents. They are too proud to ask for help or accept it. They are my farmers, hunters, and fixers. I KNOW Ian. He is a real person to me, and his story is worth reading because its insight into the world many kids deal with and then try to come to school and wonder why they can’t learn and what we teach them is totally useless to them. Their world is about survival, not onomatopoeia, not mitosis. Two more quick things: I found it suuuuper interesting that John Taylor Gatto was quoted at the start of this book, because although he’s kind of crazy, he’s right that in many ways teachers fail their kids. Never intentionally, but the system is built to support a certain kind of kid and if you aren’t that…good luck. Also, this is just my adult perspective. My 12yo started reading it…I took it before she finished, she tracked me down to get it back. I asked her why she liked the book and her response - because it’s real.
I think that’s all you really need to know.

[Stacy Morig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was heartbreaking and beautiful. I had to explain why I was crying in the dentist waiting room.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, excellent, essential, this book about a young man set in rural Vermont is on the short list for the National Book Award for Young Adult Literature.

I will be in conversation with the author at Bear Pond Books at an event on Friday evening, January 19. A more detailed review is forthcoming!

[Sydney | sydneys.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Goodreads was more like Letterboxd I’d just put: Leave it to a lesbian to save the day.

But this story deserves more than just a quip that oversimplifies the heavy and the heart. So when it’s not 4am and I’ve stopped typing this through tears, I’ll be back to write the actual review.

ALSO THE DOG IS FINE THE WHOLE BOOK DO NOT WORRY!

TW: death of a parent (overdose, on-page); parent recovering from opioid addiction; absent father; severe poverty; mentions of vomit

I initially read this for a post idea (you should totally follow me, just saying) where I read all the National Book Award Young People's Literature finalists and then choose the one I think should have won. And I have only read one of them (this one obviously) AND IT SHOULD HAVE WON!!! I said what I said. Good luck other books on the list. The bar is in outer space.

This book is a survivalist story, in more ways than one. And it's a story about grief. There's a lovely dog and boy relationship. Always hold the door open for people. Hug your mom. There's some levity, but it's a heavier read. God bless teachers. I want to give the main character a hug. Never road trip in a truck.

I don't want to say anything else because it's really best to go in without knowing much, but this book is like Noah Kahan's Stick Season. Also, I read this interview with the author when I was about 20% in and it shifted how I viewed the book. I sobbed my eyes out in multiple points, but including the acknowledgements and author's note, specifically because I knew the layers between his personal life and the fictional universe in the pages.

I'm very glad I picked this up without knowing anything, and I do not regret how awful I felt after that very late night. My eyes were so swollen in the morning I could barely see my work computer. I'm clearly getting old if 5 hours of sleep and some extensive crying made me feel like garbage for two days.

This story won't be forgotten any time soon.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner of the 2024 Kirkus Prize. Absolutely beautiful and an excellent YA (MS & HS) read alike for Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. The VOICE in this book is stunning.

Source: public library hardcover

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story ebbs and flows. Truthfully, it ebbs much more than it flows. The characters were interesting but other than the protagonist, not fleshed out.

[charlotte ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ 📖🌷
----
scrumptious.
but also i ahve to leave for the book club now lmao
----

this book was honestly so good!!
i enjoyed it even though i rushed through it so i could go to the book club lmao

the plot was great, though the writing style did confuse and frustrate me a bit (hence the 4 stars) but the characters felt so real and different

deborah was probably my favorite, despite her not being in a lot of it

Ian and Gather were such a duo (and i loved all the asking about his breed and the chihuahua joke)

Danny genuinely PMO bc like why u taking Ian's stuff for his neglectful dad : (
The Sharpe was also an icon
Zach scene was crazy but so well written
best parts were at school (i dunno i love school scenes in stories where the school isn't the main focus)
the romance was so light (probably took up like 2-5 pages) i forgot it existed but it was so cute and they were like opposites and i love that eek

yall should honestly read it!!!!!!!

luv yall
-charlotte

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this is outstanding YA. I'm rating it partly on my personal enjoyment, and partly because this is one of the rare times I'm hit with the pressing need to declare that this is GOOD and IMPORTANT for the target age group.

The first reason is that it's a vanishingly rare addition to the canon of post-2015 YA contemporary featuring a straight white male (I am being so serious; for a long time now male leads have been in short supply compared to girls, but as diversity within YA publishing has exploded - which is good! - it's only more noticeable that there's a pervading sense of "straight white guys have had their time." Which - to paraphrase an excellent Reddit comment - means little to the teen boys today who currently aren't seeing themselves represented).

Even better, unlike with John Green types, it's done without any sexual content. While there is definitely a fair bit of swearing, it's not in every other sentence and he's also constantly getting called out on that language so honestly, it feels realistic in a way that curse-happy teen authors claiming ~this is how teens really talk~ never has.

The second reason is that it's just...really well written, especially in terms of capturing the perspective of a low-income rural Vermont resident. I loved the representation of a kid who is incredibly smart in terms of practical skill, understanding mechanical repair like a breeze, in addition to deep knowledge of the forest, but doesn't see the point of a classroom because he wants to spend his life doing satisfying, hands-on work. (Why, he wonders, do farmers see so little profit from the fruit of their labors?) He is mostly allowed to be right, but there is a counterpoint voice of wisdom from his most understanding teacher, who challenges him to see that a high school education, at least, has value for everyone.

And I LOVE the dog, whose cover depiction is somehow amazingly accurate?? It's a (moderately annoying) running joke that everyone and their mother offers as a guess as to the breed(s) that went into him, but consensus seems to settle on wolfhound/mastiff, and that is certainly what I see! Gather is such a good boy, and nothing bad happens to him. Ian has a very healthy "listen, maybe I can't have everything I want, but I will not be parted from this dog and that's final" attitude, and defies anyone to challenge it.

There are some very sad elements to this book (SPOILER: namely his mother dying from an overdose), but ultimately, it is more feel-good than not. The title carries a dual meaning as well, in that it refers to the importance of gathering a community of people and support around you -- and for all his frustrations, he finds that there are many people like that indeed, and that he's not all alone in his battles.

This book deserves every award and honor it's got.

[Rebecca McPhedran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A NorthStar YA nominee for 24|25.

A beautiful story about young Ian; no longer a boy, but not quite a man. His world is his land and his farm. He lives there with his mom; who has a drug problem. Their life is full of struggles, and when Ian finds a dog on his property, it seems that the dog is one more problem. Gather ends up becoming Ian’s best friend, and he helps him through his darkest times.

This book is for the kids who struggle in traditional school. The kids who love to be outdoors and work with their hands. It’s full of heart and heartbreak. I think so far, it is my favorite of this year’s list.

[Nyambura]

18/10/23: Bailing on this because I know it's going to be heartbreaking (made the mistake of reading a review with spoilers) and I don't have it in me do deal with it.

[Anna Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dog doesn’t die in this one 🙌🏼 knowing this in advance made it a very enjoyable reading experience.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by someone who knows my love of dogs. I didn’t realize it was a YA book, and it didn’t matter. The writing is terrific, characters are lively, and of course - the dog is so great.

[Britt Buckenroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read in a while. Super strong character development, strong voice. Interesting perspective.

Excellent read. Highly recommend.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best read of 2025. I loved the characters, the gravity of the storyline that unfolded, but most of all, the enduring hope through such a pure-minded and resilient young protagonist.

[Colleen]

A unique voice and story structure. This book was suggested to me as a great book for my male students, especially those who prefer working with their hands to being in school. With this in mind, I struggled to get invested in this story because I was so distracted thinking about how this book would likely not engage that population of students. I could be wrong, but unless you are a strong reader, the structure of this narrative—lots of back flashes, lots of tangents, and lots of pieces of info you need to hold on to for later in the story—is challenging to follow. I think reluctant readers will get frustrated. The MC’s life experiences closely mirror those of my students, but I’m just not sure they’ll be able to get engaged in this novel. I hope I’m wrong because I found a lot to love in the last quarter.

[Dorothy Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I am an eclectic reader, I look for books for all ages. Recently, I discovered Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow, a book for readers 14 – 17. I also lead a book club on Zoom that is comprised of adults, some of whom are educators or retired educators. Others have children or grandchildren who could benefit from and enjoy reading Gather. A reviewer for Booklist calls Gather, “arguably one of the finest novels of the year.” I decided to see for myself.

Gather is a dog who wanders up to Ian Henry’s home. Ian is a teenager who faces many challenges daily including a mother who has fallen into drug use, an absent father, and little money for food, cothing, and other necessities. Ian’s full name is Dorian Gray, but he perfers to forget his full name and go by Ian. He has not read The Picture of Dorian Gray and has only a vague knowledge of its contents.

Ian is determined to keep Gather despite knowing that his mother will likely want him to get rid of the dog. There’s also the problem of feeding Gather since finding food for Ian and his mother remains a problem. Still, Gather represents one of the only bright spots in Ian’s life.

Thankfully, Ian’s mom works to kick her addiction. Ian decides to quit the basketball team and look for a job. While both Ian and his mom move in the right direction, obstacles continue to make their paths difficult. Ian is resourceful, and he is determined to make things better for his mom, him, and Gather. He also wants to hang on to the twelve acres he has left of his family’s farm. The odds are against Ian, but he continues to find ways to tackle even the most difficult problems.

Cadow tells the story in first person through Ian’s eyes and experiences. It is not a straightforward narrative because Cadow said he wanted to tell it as Ian would. That means that Ian tells what is happening in the present, but he also harkens to the past to fill in details for the readers. Cadow, a school principal, uses his experiences with youth to create Ian’s character. Ian represents many children whom Cadow has known through his work in education.

I found Gather to be completely absorbing; it kept me turning pages to see what Ian would face next and how he would conquer the challenge. Gather is a story of horrible circumstances, but Ian shows tremendous strength and resilience as he faces one challenge after the other. Holding on to Gather through these difficulties helps Ian remain hopeful. Ultimately, Gather is a story of hope, strength, spirit, friendship, and love. I highly recommend it!

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happens in a year in the life of Ian, a young high school boy who mostly fends for himself to survive. His mechanical skills help to keep he and his mother alive for much of the story. Later in the story, his survival skills help him keep himself and Gather alive after they find themselves alone in Tennessee far from Vermont, the state they call home. How wary should he be of others in his small town community when they offer employment to him in times of need? Can he trust them, could a little help from them improve his look on life? Will others understand the special bond he has with a stray dog that he names Gather?
Perfect for fans of stories like Gary D. Schmidt's Orbiting Jupiter or Peter Brown's The Wild Robot Escapes or other stories with rural or farm settings.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Gather” is definitely more than a boy-and-dog story than you’d think. We follow Ian, a teen living in rural Vermont, living with a drug-addict mom and no-nonsense grandfather while helping the family get by during their tough times. He ends up adopting a pup that he’ll grow a deep bond with while his home life will continue to face shocking obstacles.

A very harsh but emotional story that’s part dog story and part family drama. It’s certainly not like “Pax” or “Red Ferns”. It has a more down-to-earth feel as we see Ian trying to keep his life safe while having his dog to comfort him. A bittersweet yet enthralling story of teen-hood, family and man’s best friend. A (100%/Outstanding)

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so visceral and gut wrenching, but the best part was how engaging and believable the voice of the main character was. It was the first book in a while that actually made me weep as I was reading. It also made me feel like a middle class fraud for not having all of the practical, hands-on skills this teenager had been developing since childhood. Would recommend to readers who enjoy strong coming-of-age stories, wilderness/survival stories, or stories with super likable protagonists.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Gary Schmidt recommends a book, you listen. And this did not disappoint. Similar to Schmidt’s style, this story was poetic, human, beautiful, and real. It was like a YA version of Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead”where the main character, in spite of all life throws at him, keeps his indomitable spirit. It also reminded me is Zentner’s “In the Wild Light” where our protagonist has such a vivid voice and open heart, you can’t help but love him- flaws and all. And the dog? He doesn’t die, so there’s that. And his name, Gather, is a beautiful theme running through the novel. If you’re a fan of all of the above, you won’t want to miss this one. Cadow has done a wonderful job, and this book is a clear five stars for me.

[Kate Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important thing up front: The dog is not harmed in this book! Thank goodness (and thank you Mr. Cadow). I might have initially written this book off as just another lone-boy-who-loves-the-woods coming-of-age story. The truth is that it's so much more. The story is complex in it's simplicity. It will break your heart and mend it back together. It's a community's love story to a boy and to our collective futures. Vermonters often talk a big talk about the value of community, but this book walks the walk. The characters are each real and raw and beautiful in their own ways while being representations of intersecting identities of class, education level, race, gender, and sexuality. I see why Vermonters are loving this book (shout out to the VT Humanities VT Reads program!) and I hope Ian and Gather will resonate with a broader audience as well.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this! Like a teen version of Demon Copperhead, only with a dog in the mix too. So many wonderful observations on life I found myself wanting to highlight many sentences.

[Janet Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. This YA book meandered here, there and everywhere. It went in circles, backwards and forwards. There were times I felt buried in details and stories that weren’t meaningful. It was well written but I often felt as if the story wasn’t going anywhere. Taking place in rural Vermont, Ian is living a tough life. His mom is an addict and he often gets by only due to his own resourcefulness. He loves the outdoors, fixing things and his huge dog, Gather. The last 100 pages or so were the best part of the book. I’m glad I read it but it was a bit of a slog.

[Aimee Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected this to be a boy and his dog story, but it's not. I mean I guess it it, but it's really the story of a boy that idolized his late grandfather. His dad left. His mom hurt her back at work and she's become addicted to opioids. They live in extreme poverty. He's trying to hide all of this from the people around him to keep protective services away, and wants to keep bills paid so they don't lose the property his grandfather left him.

Great book.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole time I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think of Holden. In a lot of ways, this is a modern version of Cather in the Rye, and I would argue important to read to understand why society’s expectations and traditions are not always realistic or even sensible. A must read!!

[Elisabeth Phou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I would re-read. Ian's voice was so well done. The rural Vermont setting was depicted beautifully. And of course the dog was one of the best parts. I would say this is a YA read-alike for Demon Copperhead.

[Jordan Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was recommended by one of my aunts who lives in Vermont. Definitely a good read I will recommend to others in the future. I've already recommended it to someone yesterday. I really like Ian's voice in this and how he tells the story. I like how real this is. I like a lot about it!